Fenders are used to help prevent or at least reduce the amount of water and debris take could be projected rearward by a rotating wheel. In some vehicles, the fenders are fixed to the vehicle body or frame. In other vehicles, the fenders are connected to wheel support structures, such as suspension elements, so as move with the wheel as they travel over uneven terrain.
However, one of the disadvantages of fenders is that due to the space between the fender and the wheel and that the fenders are in contact with the incoming air when the vehicle is in movement, the fenders act like “air scoops”, thus creating drag.
One way to reduce the amount of drag caused by the fenders consists in diminishing the space between the inner surface of the fenders and the wheels. However, in cases where the fenders are connected to wheel support structures so as to move with the wheels, the minimal dimension of this space is often determined by the braces used to connect the fenders to the suspension elements. In order for the braces not to be apparent, they are disposed on the inner surfaces of the fenders, between the fenders and the wheels. Thus, the minimal dimension of the space between a fender and its corresponding wheel has to be slightly larger than the thickness of the braces.
There is therefore a need for a fender that can be connected to a wheel support structure of a wheel in a manner so as to limit the amount of drag created by the fender.